Supporting means



Dec. 25, 1945. A. J. LOEPSINGER 2,391,467

SUPPORTING MEANS Filed March 29, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 p @5 sea are 51' 65 6/ 12212622302 Wflmn Patented'Dec. 25, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE Application March 29, 1943, Serial No. 481,057

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in supporting means. It is directed to means for so supporting a load of known value which is subject to displacement that the net supporting effect remains equal or substantially equal to the known value throughout the displacement.

An example of a movable load to which my invention is applicable is a system of piping through which flows a fluid of variable temperature. As the latter changes the piping elongates or shortens and such variations in length of the vertical portions of the system cause the horizontal portions to move upward or downward an amount suflicient to cause severe stresses in the piping system. It is highly desirable that the means used to support the piping shall continue to provide the proper supporting effect despite such movements.

The principal object of my invention is to. provide in conjunction with primary means capable of supporting a movable load at some predetermined position, but whose supporting eflect varies as the load moves away from such position, auxiliary means which are effective, during such movement of the load to compensate for the variations of the primary means to the end that the load is supported throughout its movement by a net supporting efl'ect exactly .equal to or substantially equal to the weight of the load.

The best modes in which I have contemplated applying the principles of my improvements are shown in the accompanying drawings but these are to be-taken as merely illustrative because it is intended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the inventions disclosed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, 'partly in section on line l-l of Figure 2, of supporting means embodying my improvements;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, with parts in section as on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section as on line 3-4 of Figure 4, showing a modification;

and

Figure 4 is a plan in section as on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

particularly described hereinafter) are secured between the main plates by bolts 20, and if da-, v

sired, tie bolts n may also be used.

The frame is connectedby means of a hanger 5 rod 24 to some fixed structural member (not shown) or may be connected to a carriage arranged for horizontal movement as iscustomary wherehorizontal movement of a load must be provided for.

Another hanger rod 28 is connected to the load to be supported (not shown) and preferably comprises a threaded rod 26, a turnbuckle 26b, and a short rod 26c having a semi-spherical head 26d. The latter seats in a socket 28a formed in a plate. 1 28 resting on the free end of a main spring 30 which bottoms on the lower cross plate It. Sleevemembers 32 and 34 are secured to the plates at opposite ends of the spring to maintain' the latter in position and also serve, when the occasion demands, as a rigid support for the load. For instance, if the load to be supported is a steam pipe line then upon the latter being filled withwater for a hydrostatic test (thereby materially increasing the load) the main spring is compressed until the sleeves 32 and are in contact. Thereafter during the test the load is supported by these sleeves without imposing further stress upon the spring means.

The position of the main spring and hanger 30 rod 26 shown in Figure 1 corresponds to what I shall call a predetermined position of the load. In this position the force exerted by the primary force exerting means (in this case the force of the main spring 30) is equal to the weight of the load and fully supports it. If the load moves upward the spring expands and the force exerted by it is reduced. If the load moves downward the spring is compressed and the force exerted by it is increased. .Such changes in the supporting 40 force become progressively larger as the movement of the load continues away from the predetermined position. This is not desirable and my improvements are particularly concerned with the provision of means for compensating for such variations.

. The compensating means disclosed in the drawings comprise auxiliary springs arranged in opposed relation so that when the load is in the predetermined position the. forces of these springsare preferably exerted at right angles to the direction of movement of the load. Under such conditions the auxiliary springs provide no load supporting effect whatever. Each auxiliary spring is associated with an element movable with the load and is mounted for rotation about an axis so that as the load moves awayfrom the predetermined position each auxiliary sprin assumes a position at an angle to the direction of movement of the load. According to this angular relation the force of each auxiliary spring has a component which is eifective along the line of movement of the load and the sum of these components compensates for the :-variation in the primary supporting force.

If the load moves upward the force of the main spring is reduced, but this upward movement so tilts the auxiliary springs that they have upwardly acting components which make up for the reduced force of the main spring. In this have tilted downward so'that their verticalcomponents are acting downward in the same direction as the weight of the load acts. In this case. the net supporting effect is the diiference between the main spring force and the downwardly acting vertical components of the auxiliary rings. It is to be noted that in carrying out my invention the forces exerted by both the main or pri.-. mary force exertingv means and the auxiliary force exerting means vary in accordance with the displacement of the load. However, in order to achieve the novel compensating action, the supporting eflects of the two force exerting means must be in opposed or inverse relation to one another whenever the supporting eifect of the primary means does not equal the known value oi the load. That is to say, when the supporting effect of the main force exerting means is less than the load the supp rting effect of the auxiliary force exerting means is so applied as to be added to that of the primary means, whereas when the supporting effect of'the main force exerting means is greater than the load, then the supporting effect of the auxiliary force exerting means is so applied as to be subtracted from that of the primarymeans. Either force exert ing means acting alone would produce only a variable supporting effect on the load, but orv ganized and combined in accordance with my inport of the load.

In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown two auxiliary The outer end of an auxiliary spring seats against 'moved upward so that the U-shaped plate II is in the suggested dotted position. Obviously the main spring will have elongated and its lifting force will have been reduced. The bolt 46 will have likewise moved upward and caused the cylindrical shell 40 'at the right side of the figure to assume the tilted position shown in dotted outline. The force of its auxiliary spring I8 will be exerted along the dotted'centerline l drawn through the axis of the pin ll and the axis of the shell trunnions' 42. If only two opposed auxiliary springs aroused. the force of each must be such thattheverticai component of each force is half the reduction of force in the main spring.

Accordingly the track is designed so that the distance'betweenwhere the roll engages it and the axis ofthe pin 4| will be such that the auxiliary spring willbe sufliciently compressed to produce the necessary spring force to give 'a vertical component equal to one-half the reduction in force vof the main spring. The other half of this reduction is made up .by the like vertical component of the other auxiliary spring II which will lie-similarly tilted. These components act with the force of the main spring andthus the net supportingeflect on the load is the same as when the load was in the predetermined position.

On the other hand, if the load were to move downward so that the U-shaped member II and bolt 46 are in the position indicated by dot-dash outline, the main spring "will be compressed and its lifting .force increased. But the shell" and auxiliary spring 38 are now tilted downward so that the force of the spring acts along springs 38 and SI. Each is housed within a in the front and back plates Ill-and II. The axis of these trunnions is the axis about which an auxiliary spring'is tilted. The inner end of the spring seats against a plate 44 having an-annular flange at extending between thespring and the inner wall of the shell 40 and having. brackets b extending forward to receive between them a suitably shaped end a of a bolt ll; A hole through the brackets and bolt end accommodates a pin 40. The bolt is adiustably secured to a leg "a of a generally U-shaped member 50 attached at its midposition to the main spring bearing plate 28. This adjustment may be made by wrenches inserted through the opening 49 in the front and back plates. This U-plate moves upward and downward with the plate 28, the latter being loosely guided and prevented from rotating by the guides II and the front and back plates.

the dot-dash centerline m. The wheel 56 is near the other end of the track Ila which is so disposed that the distance between it and the axis of the pin 48 in such as to cause the auxiliary spring to be sufliciently compressed to exert a force whose vertical component "will equal onehalf the increase inthe force of the main spring. The other half of this increase is offset by the other auxiliary spring N which will be similarly tilted downward. These components .act against the force of the main spring and thus the net the assumed high position represented by the dotted outlines. I

With the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and I 2, every variation of the main spring or supporting force can be exactly compensated for by the auxiliary springs, because the tracks can be deing'the movement of the load awayfrom the predetermined position the load itself should undergo variations which would be compatible with the proper positioning of vthe roller by a track then these likewise can be compensated for by my improved means. Thus in my preferred form of supporting means the load can be exactly supported at any point in its range of movement whether or not the load itself remains constant or varies within the limits of practical track de-- sign. I

Not infrequently, however, it is unnecessary to support the load so exactly and in such c ses the track may beomitted and the auxiliary springs Such an arrangement is shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this arrangement the front and back plates l and I! are of somewhat different configura tion because here the auxiliary springs 30' and creased force of the main spring due to such movement of the load.

From both the upper and lower positions represented by the dotted and dot-dash lines 1' and m respectively, each auxiliary: spring will exert a greater force as it approaches the predetermined or illustrated position. But as this spring force increases, its angular relation to the horizontal becomes less and so its vertical compo- 38' are arrangedsomewhat above the main spring 58a is secured to the movable plate 28' and on this stem a cross member 80 is keyed at 6| in such manner as to prevent rotation of the member while permitting its longitudinal adjustment.

cal bottoms 68a of cone plates 68 having outstanding edge 66b against which the auxiliary springs 36' and 38 rest. Opposite each outer end "a of the cross member is a similar ball shaped end 68a oi! a post 88 mounted in a side plate l8 that is attached between the front and back plates by cap screws The fixed ball,end 58a of this post receives the semispherical bottom 10a ofanother cone plate 10 having an outstanding rim llib against which the outer ends of an auxiliary spring rests.

When the load is in the predetermined. position, that is, with the main spring 30' fully supporting it, the cross member 60 is adjusted alon the stem 580 so that the longitudinal axis of the cross member is in alignment with the corresponding axes of the fixed side posts 68. Inv

this adjusted position the auxiliary springs are merely opposing one another, without any effect being exerted in the direction of the load movement.

If, however, the load moves upward, the cros member 60 will likewise move and cause both auxiliary springs to tilt about horizontal axes through the ball ends 68a of the fixed posts 88. Thus each auxiliary spring will exert its force in some direction such as is indicated by the dotted line 1', and thisforce will produce a vertical component acting upward on the cross member 60 and consequently upon the load. By suitable selection of auxiliary springs and a known movement of the load, the combined vertical components of these springs can be made to exactly compensate for the reduction in the force of the main spring due to such movement of the load.

If now the load were to move downward an equal distance below the predetermined position, so that the force of each auxiliary spring is exerted in a direction indicated by the dot-dash line 111., then in this assumed position the combined downwardly acting vertical components of the auxiliary springs would oppose and oifset the in- .nent becomes less despite the greater spring force and finally disappears when the auxiliary spring forces come into alignment at right'angles to the direction'oi!v movement of the'load. Thus by suitable selection of auxiliary springs the load can be exactly supported at its predetermined position and at two selected positions above and below thispredetermined position, and between either theupper or the lower selected positionand the predetermined position the variation of the auxiliary spring forces from efl'ecting exact I compensation can be made of the-order of one percent or less of theload.

Although I have used the terms er, horizontal and "vertical for clarity in the description, these terms are purely relative in meaning because my improved means can be used with the axis of the main spring positioned horizontally or otherwise and with the tie member connected to the load. by means of a bellcrank lever or a cable and pulley or the like.

although I have shown only a compression spring as the main spring, it is obvious that my improvements canbe employed with a main spring of the tension type. Moreover, my auxiliary or compensating means may be used separately and apart from the primary force exerting means provided that their supporting eifect on the load is applied in an inverse or opposed relation to the supporting eflect of the primary means. Such variations and modifications are deemed to be within the scope of my invention and to be covered in one or more of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Supporting means for a load of known value subject to displacement from a predetermined position comprising, in combination, a fixed element; a movable element moved by the load; primary spring means interposed betweemsaid .e ements acting parallel to the lineof moveme t of said load exerting a supporting force on thb movable element equal to the known value of the load when the latter is at said predetermined position and exerting a supporting force varying in accordance with the displacement of said load from said predetermined position; and auxiliary spring means acting on said movable element at right angles to said line of movement when the load is at said predetermined position and being moved by the movement of the load to act at an angle to said line of movement when the load is displaced; the force of said auxiliary spring means being varied in accordance with the displacement of the load from said predetermined position and being so applied that its component parallel to the said lineof movement of the load substantially compensates for the variation in a the supporting force of the primary spring means.

" pp l I equaltotheknownvalueoitheloadwhenthe latter is at the said predetermined position, and auxiliary spring means connected to the movable element acting at right angles to said iixed direction and exerting no supporting eiiect when the'load is at the said predetermined position;

the i'0rces of said primary and said auxiliary spring means being varied upon displacement of .-tion, primary sprlngmeans exerting a varying the load from the said predetermined position and so applied to the movable element that'the supporting eifect of one means compensates for ture: primary spring means arranged with one end thereof engaging said structure; a movable element engaging the other end of said primary spring means and being moved by said load; said primary spring means exerting on the load a supporting eiiect which varies in accordance with the displacement of the load; and auxiliary spring means pivotally mounted on said structure with one end in engagement with the said movable element so that as the movable element is moved by the load auxiliary spring means is tilted about its pivotal mounting; the said auxiliary spring means exerting a supporting effect which varies in accordance with the extent to which it is tilted about its pivotal mounting; the varying eflect of the auxiliary spring means being applied in inverse relation to the supporting eflect oi the primary spring means to compensate substantially for the variation in the supporting force or the primary spring means throughout the displacement of the load. v

v 4. Supporting means for a load 01' known value subject to displacement comprising, in combination; primary spring means exerting on theload a supporting effect which varies in accordance with-the displacement of the load; auxiliary ing eiiectwill exactly compensate the variations in the supporting eiiect oithe primarymeans and maintain throughout the displacement a constant net supporting eiiect' equal to said known value.

5. Supporting means tor a load'ot known value subject to displacement'comprising, in combinasupporting eiiect on said loadas the load is displaced; auxiliary springmeans exerting on the load a supporting etlect in inverse relation to that that of the force exerted by'the primary means;.

exerted ,by the said primary means; said auxiliary means being-pivotalLv mounted so as to be tilted by movement of the load to exert avarr ing component of force in a direction parallel to and means eiiective during the tilting oi the auxiliary means to regulate the force thereciso that the said component will exactly compensate for the variations in the supporting eflect oi the'primary means. I

6. Supporting means for a load of known value subject to displacement i'rom apredetermined position comprising, in combination, a fixed element; an element linearly movable with the load upon displacement thereof; primary spring means interposed between said fixed and movable elements. exerting a primary supporting force on said movable element equal to the load value when the load and said movable element are in the predetermined position but with said primary supporting force varying in accordance with displacement oi the load toward ,or away from said ilxed element; and auxiliary spring means inter- 86 posed between said iixed element and said mov- 4 of movement of said movable element and, upon spring means exerting on the load asupporting eiiect in inverse relationto that of the primary means; and cam means controlling the force ex erted by the auxiliary means so that its supportlinear movement of said movable element in either direction from the predetermined position, to exert a force on said movable element in a direction to compensate for varations in said'primary supporting i'orce whereby the net supporting e!- iect on the load remains substantially constant despite displacement oi said load.

ALBERT J. DOEPSINGER. 

